ACTINOMYCOSIS 225 



ACTINOMYCOSIS. 



First described by Bollinger— Commonly known as ' wooden tongue ' 

 — ^Appearance of the fungus in discharges — Method of staining — 

 Growths on artificial media do not form ' clubs ' — Pathogenesis 

 — ' Madura disease ' probably identical. 



The actinomyces, or ray-fungus, was first described by 

 Bollinger in the year 1876, though its manifestation in 

 cattle, commonly known as ' wooden tongue,' was recog- 

 nised many years previously, and described by M. Laber. 

 The natural habitat of the fungus seems to be on the ears 

 of cereals, and the invasion of an animal by the fungus is 

 generally due to the piercing of a mucous surface by a 

 portion of a cereal to which the fungus was attached ; 

 possibly the fungus may also gain access to the system by 

 inspiration. If the pus from one of the abscesses is examined, 

 small yellow granules will be found, which consist of clumps 

 of the fungus. On squeezing one of these clumps between 

 two cover-glasses, and then staining with aniline water 

 methyl-blue, it will be seen that the fungi are arranged 

 in groups radiating out from the centre, and club-shaped. 



Method of Staining. — To stain the actinomyces in section 

 in tissue, we may either employ Gram's method or we may 

 use carbol-fuchsine and picric acid, thus staining the 

 fungus red and the tissue yellow. 



Growth on Media. — -In artificial media the club shapes 

 are not found. The fungus grows well, and for almost 

 unlimited times, on artificial media, glycerine agar and 

 bread being the best. The cultures on bread, when fully 

 developed, have a very peculiar appearance, showing a 

 dull-gray raised and wrinkled growth, of considerable thick- 

 ness, somewhat similar to the lichenous growth commonly 

 seen on apple-trees. 



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